Week 56

Week two of my 2nd change here in good ol Riobamba. This week was a little bit crazy and went by super fast! We have been working really hard to find new people to teach. As of right now we have one investigator who is progressing and she should be able to get baptized this weekend so that's awesome :) 

It's been quite tough finding new people though! Here in the mountains people are a little bit more closed off and don't like to associate with others and there are a lot of crazy Catholics here! It's good though because once we have been able to talk more with them, they are pretty accepting. Our focus right now is contacting in the street as the people are a little more open to us than when they are in their homes. We look for families so that we can focus more on that. So far it has been good for us and slowly I'm becoming better at talking to anyone and everyone I see so that's good, although I'm pretty sure they just look at me like I'm some crazy gringo haha!! It's okay, I know that we will plant the seed in their hearts :) 

Our other focus that we have right now is to help the Branch that we are in get better at doing their visits as Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers so that we can strengthen the retention here in the Branch! We need to help them to forget about themselves and serve others. We have noticed that they rarely do their visits so we have decided to choose one companionship each week to go out with so that we can make sure that they are doing it and just try to help them get better and have the desire to do it by themselves. There is a lot that we need to help with here in the Branch! It will be hard at first but I know that it truly will pay off! 

So it's been a good experience being District Leader! I'm just trying to stay strong so that I can be able to help the Missionaries in my District. I know that the Lord has called me to a position of service. This week I really want to get better at offering more sincere prayers! Often times when I wake up in the morning, I start to pray and end up pray/sleeping for about half an hour haha! I know that even though it's hard, it's essential in our daily lives! 

I'm excited for what the Lord has prepared for me here in Riobamba and I know that through my obedience and diligence the Lord will bless me and my family! I feel my testimony growing each and every day and I know that what I am doing is the truth. It's hard sometimes but I know that although we often can't see the fruits of our labors until later that this is what the lord wants me to do! I thank you all for the love and support that I have received and continue to receive here! I pray for you all and your well being. Have a great week and don't forget "Every Member a Missionary" :) 

Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt

Week 55

So, this week was quite the interesting week! First of all, it was the first week of changes. I can already see that this change is going to be a great one and that if we stay diligent and keep being obedient I know that the Lord will truly bless us! 

The second reason why this week was quite crazy is because this week was a HUGE holiday here in Ecuador! It's called Carnival and basically what happens is everyone walks around carrying silly string type stuff, water, flour, and eggs and its just an all out war haha. People throw water balloons and buckets of water from the roof. Let's just say that it would be awesome being here as a normal person and to be able to participate in the madness!! As a missionary I can now say that it isn't as great being here defenseless! It also makes it hard having to work and find people to visit too. It was still a great experience and super fun to have to run away and avoid being soaked with water. Unfortunately, we still got wet haha! 

So this week was a little bit hard as all of the members here in Riobamba left to go to the little towns a little ways away from here. The town here is literally so empty and its been hard to find people to teach. We've tried to look for new people to be able to teach but with no luck. 

Yesterday I was able to give a talk in church and I was asked to speak about The Law Of Chastity and the Use of Technology. It has been a problem here in the branch as they kids are always on their phones and they don't show respect during the hours that we are in church. 

There's not a whole lot of news to share with you all but this P-Day was super fun! We got together as a zone and played Carnival and lets just say we got super dirty and super wet haha! It was great as we have 3 news Missionaries here in the zone. It was super fun to be able to experience a little bit of the culture here in Ecuador. We only have today and tomorrow to make it through Carnival and were good :) 
I hope  that you all have a great week this week!
Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt 

Elder Hunt & Elder Read

 

Week 54

Changes! Well, I have completed yet another change here on my mission:) I am now with Elder Lopez from Colorado. I know that this change will be a great one! I would really like to share an activity that we as missionaries are doing this month and the next. It's called "The faith of February will bring the Miracles of March." We have been asked to make a few sacrifices to show the Lord the faith that we have in him. We have been asked to read 12 pages every days from the Book Of Mormon and mark every time  that it talks about or mentions Jesus Christ so that we can finish it before the end of March. We have also been asked to study and apply the Christ-like Attributes, hold two mission wide fasts, participate in weekly service projects in our districts, and each make a personal sacrifice. 

I was able to read in Mormon 9:15-21 about how often times we forget that our Heavenly Father is a God of Miracles. Being here in Ecuador there have been many people that have told me that God no longer performs miracles but instead they go to their pastor or church leader to perform the miracles. They truly have lost their faith in the Lord! We know that without faith God can do nothing! I know that this activity we are doing truly will bring miracles into our lives and all the people around us. I know that God truly gives us so many blessings and performs so many miracles in our lives! We just need to come unto Christ and our eyes will be opened so that we can see the miracles and blessings abound in our lives. 

I really want to focus on the faith that I have and to keep strengthening it! I want to build my faith upon the rock of Christ (Helaman 5:12). We truly do need to build a strong and reliable spiritual foundation under us to have the strength to go against the odds and what the world says. I know that if we show the Lord that we truly do have faith in him and if we prove our faith through our works, he will bless us! I would like to ask you all to consider your level of faith and set goals and make sacrifices to strengthen that faith. "For if we have faith, we have the power to do whatsoever thing is convenient unto the lord." (Moroni 7:33) 
I love you all and hope you have a great week! 
Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt

Week 53

Well, it's the first week of the second year here on my mission:) I wish that I could say that it was an extraordinary week but I would be lying haha! It was about the same as any other week! On Thursday night we went up to the roof and burned one of my shirts (Half way missionary tradition).  It went up in flames super fast and was super cool to see and do :) 

This week was a little rough on the numbers and we didn't have the people that we wanted to in church on Sunday but we were able to help some people out and we should have a better week this week. So, this last week in my training I talked a little bit about about goals that we set as missionaries and how we help people with these goals. It made me really look back and see that I have set many goals throughout this last year but I wasn't able to achieve all of them. It makes me want to set more precise, and attainable goals this year so that I can keep improving as my time here in the mission grows! 

Goals are such an important aspect in our lives but often times we just decide to stay where we are and that that's okay, but that is not the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Something that I like teach all of the people that I visit is, that Jesus Christ didn't only teach us words that we study in a book, he taught us how to live! He showed us the lifestyle we need to live to have all the blessings from God. I know it is hard to do but we really need to look deep into our lives and find what we can change and get better at so that we can continually be better people and better Children of God! 

I know that this Church is true and I know that although it may be hard sometimes, it does make us into the people that God wants us to be, not just who we want to be. The will of God exists for our benefit so that we can be able to make it back to live with our Father In Heaven. I Really have come to love all of the things God gives to us! I am striving to make them important aspects in my life so that I can construct the foundation under me that will allow me to resist the temptations of Satan! 
I love you all and I hope you all have a great week! 
Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt

The Traditional "1 Year Down" Shirt Burning :)